Team
Ora Hazak studied Biology at Tel Aviv University, where she completed her BSc (2001-2005), MSc (2005–2007) and PhD (2008–2014) in the lab of Shaul Yalovsky. Her doctoral research focused on ROP signaling components and their roles in root development and cell polarity. In December 2014, she moved to Switzerland to join the lab of Christian Hardtke at the University of Lausanne, where she investigated CLE peptide signaling in protophloem development in Arabidopsis roots. In 2019, Ora was awarded the prestigious Ambizione SNSF grant and established her independent research group at the University of Fribourg. Her team continued uncovering components and mechanisms of CLE peptide signaling in plants and introduced tomato root development as a new model system in the lab. In January 2025, she became a Junior Maria Sybilla Merian Professor at the Faculty of Biology at the University of Muenster, an appointment supported by a prestigious grant from the Wuebben Science Foundation. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and recharging through walks in nature, swimming in the lake, and practicing yoga.
Lennart completed his bachelor's and master's degrees at Leibniz University Hannover (Germany) in 2018. During his bachelor’s studies at the Institute of Botany, he investigated light-regulating elements of a promoter, focusing in particular on gene expression. In his master’s research at the Institute for Plant Nutrition, he concentrated on the dimerization of nucleoside hydrolases in Physcomitrium patens, primarily using protein-biochemical methods. He then moved to the University of Münster to pursue his doctorate, working in Prof. Antje von Schaewen’s laboratory, where he studied the significance, regulation, and localization of components of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. In September 2025, Lennart joined our newly established group and is now developing key pipelines to study root development and stress signaling in tomato roots.
Jannik is from Lingen Germany. He studied Biology at the Bachelor level at the University of Münster (2019-2021), doing his thesis project on investigating the impact of protein modifications in photosynthesis in Prof. Iris Finkemeier’s lab. Next, he headed to Vienna for his Master's in Molecular Biology (2022-2024), where he continued to explore the fascinating world of plants, working on signaling pathways inside the chloroplasts. Now, as a Ph.D. student, he is investigating how RNA helicases affect root development through peptide signaling. When he is not in the lab, you can find him playing soccer or out for a run and spending time with his friends. Jannik is excited to be part of the AG Hazak team and contribute to the research projects of his lab mates.
Tobias studied biology at the University of Münster (2019–2022), where he completed his bachelor's thesis in Ivan Berg's lab, investigating the role of CoA transferases in the reductive citric acid cycle and carbon fixation in thermophilic iron-reducing bacteria. In 2022, he began his master's studies at the same university (2022 – 2025), during which he joined the 2023 iGEM team, which won a silver medal and the inclusivity award. From 2024 to 2025, he developed an interest in plants while completing his master's thesis in Till Ischebeck's lab, examining the impact of increased terpenoid production on plant metabolism. In July 2025, Tobias joined the Hazak lab to study interactors of CLE receptors and their role in root development. When not working on the most fascinating aspects of biology, Tobias can be found engaging in sports or in front of his computer playing videogames.